Macbeth Journal #1-Macbeth and the Human Condition
Use the seminar discussion along with the knowledge you obtain from the Act I Scene 1 video linked here to write a short essay predicting the themes that you expect to see in Macbeth. Based on your peers comments during the seminar are these themes still relevant today? Explain; cite your peers parenthetically to support your position. Your response should be about 150-200 words and you should respond to at least two peers. Title your work, Your Name-Macbeth and the Human Condition.
Click on the link below to access the discussion board rubric.
See the list of statements that were discussed in class along with those we didn't have time to share:
- People will do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals.
- Ambition is always a desirable trait.
- It is impossible to be ambitious and maintain your integrity.
- Ambition, lust, greed, and desire all mean the same thing.
- Things are not always what they seem.
- Patriotism requires obedience to the government’s leaders at all costs.
- Supernatural beings can make people make choices that are not their own.
- Everyone is capable of lying, killing, and betrayal; in other words, of being evil.
- The world is just; if you do something wrong you will be punished for it.
- Our nature is fixed; try as we might we cannot change who or what we are.
- Our fate is predetermined; we cannot alter our own destiny.
- If someone kills someone because someone else coerced them into doing it, the person who did the killing is not responsible for the murder.
- Loyalty to your family is more important than loyalty to the government or one’s own morals.
- Women use their sexual appeal to get what they want and men result to violence.
Rachel Matsumura (2nd) - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the topics of discussion and the Act I Scene I video, we can predict the themes of Macbeth revolve around the human condition of morality. The sinister nature of the movie portrayals indicates that Macbeth’s character loses or has already lost part of his ethics. The many levels of want: desire, greed, ambition, and lust, as well as the truth that “many people are ambitious without integrity” (Morgan) likely have importance to the plot of Macbeth. While lust and greed have negative associations, ambition and desire are usually tied to the positive (Brianna). However, that is not always the case. The concepts of ambition (and its various levels), patriotism, and the idea that things (not necessarily supernatural beings) can “make people make choices that are not their own” are usually connected by the pursuit of power and how it corrupts the mind (as well as morality). Some of the other concepts we did not discuss, such as “everyone is capable of being evil” and “if someone is coerced into killing someone else, they are not responsible” indicate that Macbeth is probably sucked into the “moral and ethics void” while in pursuit of power, a notion (that is unfortunately) still present in society today.
The ideas of family loyalty and that “the world is just” have their flaws, as does the statement “women use their sexual appeal to get what they want and men result to violence.” Family relationships are the basis of loyalty and trust. While some families are lucky in the quality of their relationships (time, effort, and care put into them), others are not so fortunate (therefore family loyalty and filial piety are lacking). So far, whatever justice system the world is using is not punishing the people doing wrong. Then again, we get into the grey area of “right and wrong,” which also deals with morality- another concept the world is missing right now. The idea that “women use their sexual appeal to get what they want” is a common idea that is practiced by some- however, some of those do this because their other credentials may be seen as inadequate or meaningless. The belief that “men result to violence” to get what they want has many examples in both the past and today’s society, but I won’t get into those- that’s a long discussion for another time.
I like that you point out that some of the ideas are flawed and a lot of these themes are flexible, depending on the circumstance.
DeleteThe video supports your brief mention on the falseness of "women use their sexual appeal to get what they want." It depicts three different sets of women and in none of them are they trying to be sexually attractive, and yet in all three they seem to have gotten what they wanted.
DeleteI like that you pointed out the relevance of people being capable of acts that they typically would not consider moral if they are able to place the blame on another ("he told me to do it"). This happens all the time and reveals humanity's true colors.
DeleteI like how you tied in the questions with the visual effects of the video! Analyzing both really gives a more in-depth view of the themes of Macbeth.
DeleteI appreciated your commentary on the video, even though I didn't get to be there to watch with the class I feel as though you presented an insightful picture! Since yesterday was National Women's Day, I feel it is appropriate to comment on how strongly I believe with your assertion that women do not have to rely on sexual appeal to get what they want.
DeleteI really liked how you branched off specific things that you saw in the trailer and fleshed them out to other big things that you think are going to occur. Also I liked how you presented your post from the point of view as a person who has never seen nor read Macbeth.
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DeleteI liked how you focused on the theme of mortality. Giving good examples and supporting your prediction of Macbeth.
DeleteI like how you gave different perspectives to the themes. It allows the audience to interpret the story in a way that relates to them personally and that one's perspective isn't considered right or wrong.
DeleteHannah Medford- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the clips, three women are performing very violent acts and seem to be accomplishing one task and making plans for another. This leads me to believe that the theme of it being impossible to maintain your integrity and be ambitious will be a prevalent one in the play. Based on our class discussions, this is not true today. We think that ambition is a spectrum and, while it is possible to take it too far and lose integrity, a person is perfectly capable of finding a balance between the two (Svetak) and furthermore integrity can often help ambition (Brian and Erin).
The second clip, depicting teenage girls as the vandals, and the third, showing nurses killing a patient, hint to a theme that things are not always what they seem. Our class mostly believed that this was true, that judgments and assumptions will always cloud a person’s perspective and that what is “real” is often not what they first assume (Justin). It was pointed out, however, that reality is in the eye of the beholder and if it’s true to them then it is the truth (Svetak). I believe Macbeth will explore this theme in great depth.
I'm wondering if in Shakespeare's time ambition was a spectrum to them or if Shakespeare was just making a point about one end of the spectrum. Then again all of these ideas change as society's ways of thinking change.
DeleteComparing ambition to a spectrum is something we usually do in determining whether an action is "good" or "evil"- it's based on how we interpret (in the case of spectrum, measure) things. I agree that integrity can help ambition- but there is the question of the integrity itself: is it the person's true nature (honesty) or are they using this quality in pursuit of something else (not so honest)? Just a thought.
DeletePiggy-backing off of Bilva and your statement that "reality is in the eye of the beholder", there is a connection to the class discussion on "Supernatural beings can make people make choices that are not their own." If, in fact, people can create their own realities, then they are able to make conscious decisions for themselves of whether or not to incorporate a faith of supernatural beings into those realities. It seems to me that faith, more often than not, has the ability to grow into a subconscious set of values and an inner monologue that dictates ones actions and ideas. If realities do exist in the eye's of a particular beholder then it is his or her beliefs that determine this reality and, therefore, the belief in supernatural beings and what those beings may dictate could, in fact, control the person's choices.
DeleteI have to agree that ambition exists on a spectrum, but I think the spectrum is in regards to the object of desire itself, and not the intensity of a person's ambition. A person can be incredibly passionate about ending world hunger, and go to extreme lengths to eradicate it completely. This does not seem like an ambitious goal that would cause a loss of integrity. Wanting to eradicate an entire race of people, however, would be an ambitious goal that would typically not be considered an admirable desire.
DeleteI agree that ambition exists on a spectrum but in my opinion, integrity isn't the driving force in ambition. It could potentially be the motivation that lies within the ambition.
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ReplyDeleteLeslie Castro (2nd) - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the discussion, it seems inevitable that Macbeth's central theme will concern morality. It will branch off into sub-themes that includes ambition, desire, family, social status, and service to the crown.
Just as Shakespeare is still relevant to modern society, Macbeth is no exception.
Ambition is in the fabric of human nature itself. If we don't have motivation to do things, what is the point of even getting out of bed? We all want to make that grade, get into a good college, get a good job, get a promotion, make lots of money, have lots of friends, living happily, etc... We still struggle with the idea of absolute, blind patriotism, especially in places where the leaders are corrupt. You can serve a country and not support all of its ideals (Christina and Andrew). We still struggle with (supernatural) beings influencing our decisions, depending on our beliefs (Victoria and Visrut). And we will always struggle with the fact that just because we perceive something to be a certain way, doesn't mean it is.
I agree with you that the play seems as though it will revolve around morality. The clips from the video all had the witches doing things that we consider taboo and that seems as if it will lead to a debate throughout the play about the lengths a person will go to for their goals.
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DeleteI agree with Shakespeare still being relevant today. Why else would we be reading his works in English classes or putting on his plays with our various theater departments? I also agree that Macbeth will be relevant to today's world, especially as ambition seems to have grown in this society centered around gaining more things and positions and recognition.
DeleteIt's interesting to consider how the ideas of fate and patriotism could interplay. If it's possible to be loyal to a government without agreeing with its choices, as you stated, then was it fate for these choices to be made, and you're wrong, or is it fate to make changes to correct mistakes?
DeleteI agree with you on your view of ambition. I think it's relevant to say that what fuels humans is ambition, because it requires foresight. Not many creatures can make plans or even understand the concept of a future. Ambition is an agent of change, and whether it is for the best or not, it has to happen.
I agree that you can disagree with certain views of a government and still be patriotic but its hard to draw the line as Vicky had brought up during our class discussion about at which point we simply must agree with our government or higher power for the good of our own country and people despite what we may believe to be right or wrong.
DeleteI completely agree with you that ambition and/or hope are essential to human survival. When people start to lose their hope then they can often slip into deep depression and have thoughts about not continuing their lives. This shows that not having ambition can destroy someone but on the other hand too much ambition can destroy their morals.
DeleteI agree that Shakespeare is used in modern day society. Also, ambition is apart of our human nature. We shouldn't have too much, but yet have enough to fulfill certain goals that we strive to achieve.
DeleteI agree with Amanda. Shakespeare seems ever more prevelant in a society that weighs material goods more than fulfillment. We can learn from the past, not only in history, but in literature as well. Shakespeare warns us of the evils of desire and ambition, when used poorly.
DeleteVickie Wang - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteMany of our seminar questions revolved around human morality as it relates to ambition, patriotism, justice, and even murder. We can predict, then, that the main themes of Macbeth include 1) if ambition can be good; 2) what the nature of love for one's country should be; and 3) how humans are held accountable for their actions, such as murder. The dark and violent portrayals of Act I Scene I, as well as the fact that Macbeth is a tragedy, hint at a macabre feel to the entire play, fitting for a work that deals with such heavy topics. Macbeth is likely an ambitious character whose moral values eventually become lost as he is driven to ever more extreme measures to achieve his goal.
In class, examples from current events were often cited to support students' stances on the questions, proving that the themes of Macbeth are still as relevant today as they were in Shakespeare's time. For example, Andrew used the example of German soldiers in WWII to answer the question "Does patriotism require obedience to the government at all costs?" You can love a country without loving everything those in charge do. For this question, I also used the example of last year's government shutdown to support my stance that patriotic people should obey their government for the good of the country which they claim to love. In today's world, ambition--the pursuit of power--still drives people to do immoral and harmful things, and the world doesn't do quite enough to punish those who do wrong.
I agree that Machbeth will likely be an ambitious character driven to the edge and even over the edge of morality to accomplish what he wants too. Considering how Shakespeare usually write tragedies, and from what I've heard of Machbeth already, I'm guessing that his drive will lead to his death or the death of others or both.
DeleteI like how you reference patriotism as something that drives people's morality, whether is be good or bad. I'm interested to see what patriotism is in Macbeth.
DeletePatriotism is an interesting way of directing the blame of an immoral act away from oneself, and I think it will be interesting to see how morality and patriotism relate to each other within Macbeth.
DeleteThe portrayals of Act I Scene I were quite "dark and violent," which may connect to the idea of patriotism in the play. Perhaps Macbeth does get lost in trying to do what's best for his country/leader, or perhaps he loses morality even before that.
DeleteBrianna Bulgarino - Macbeth and The Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on our discussion, I think the main theme of Macbeth is how power can affect a person's morality. Ambition, lust, greed, and desire are all building blocks of gaining power whether it is positive or negative (Kayla). Achieving goals requires some of these characteristics. While it may be impossible for some to be ambitious and maintain integrity, others can achieve a goal through integrity (Leslie). These themes still exist today because our lives are based on achieving goals such as getting an A in a class. Some may get an A because of hard work while others may get an A because of cheating. Things are not always what they seem because everyone sees things differently (Morgan) and you never know the whole story just by looking at someone (Kayla). Everyone has different morals based off of different ideals but the main idea is whether or not a person can have power and stay true to one's self.
I agree that morals will play a large role in Macbeth. The examples you give from the discussion are good because they really show how people's morals affect their actions positively.
DeleteI agree with how things are not always as they seem, because no matter what, there will always be a little difference in how I were to view something as opposed to the person right next to me. I believe that this idea plays a big role in Macbeth because hoe things are portrayed can lead to different actions and consequences.
DeleteI agree with you and Molly's comment, things are not always what they seem most of the time they are peoples assumptions. It maybe that in Macbeth because of someones assumption that someone has to deal with a terrible consequence for something that they didn't exactly do.
DeleteI agree with how things are not always what they seem because like Brianna said people see things differently and people do not know the whole story unless they get to know them. Looks can be deceiving.
DeleteAmanda Nemecek (6) – Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteOne of the main themes in Shakespeare’s Macbeth will most likely be man cannot change his fate. Three of the seminar statements relate, either directly or indirectly, to the control men have over their own fates: the “supernatural beings” statement, the “fixed nature” statement, and the “predetermined fate” statement. The notion of a predetermined fate stretches back all the way to Greek times, with the myth of the three fates and the life they weave for each person. These three fates are translated into the three women from the movie scene, heavily tying in the predetermined destiny idea. This theme is still very much relevant in today’s society, as there are still people who think that all fates are predetermined, a belief mainly stemming from religion. As Avery pointed out, people do weird acts in the name of God, thus supporting the supernatural beings controlling choices statement and limiting a person’s capacity for free will.
Another theme most likely prevalent in Macbeth will be men will use any means necessary to achieve their goals. This theme works off of all of the “ambition” statements in addition to the “whatever is necessary” statement and the “everyone is capable of evil” statement. Camry stated in our seminar that he agreed that people would do whatever necessary to reach their goals, stating that people would do things they might not necessarily want to do in order to reach their goal. This theme also ties into the notion of ambition, which Monika stated was always a desirable trait as it drives an individual to achieve his/her goals. The theme can also play into the “supernatural beings” controlling fates theme, as a major part of Christianity is that humans are inherently sinners, or “capable of evil.” As Shakespeare was writing in Renaissance London, Christianity would have been the main religion and this notion would have been widespread in his society.
I like your thoughts on fate and how that could influence the role and meaning of the witches. In a time when a vast majority of England was Christian, what would it mean for a popular play to support the idea of destiny being immutable? I think it would be in line with the philosophy of predestination that the Puritans believed in, but I don't know enough about other religious factions to say whether it would challenge their beliefs. It seems that if you had no way to change your future, what would be the point of even subscribing to a religion if belief and prayer to a god couldn't change your fate? What would be the point of doing anything?
DeleteI think its really interesting how the three witches could be symbolic of the three fates, I hadn't noticed that until you'd brought it up. I also think that the role of supernatural beings and their influence on people is not only in Christianity but in many religions/beliefs for example karma could also be looked at as a supernatural force/being.
DeleteErin Eichenberger- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteI believe that Macbeth will focus heavily on the choice to sacrifice morality for the sake of power. We discussed several questions involving moral qualms, including whether it is possible to be ambitious and maintain integrity. It was argued that ambition is a spectrum (Svetak), and that how ambitious one becomes can affect personal integrity (Bilva). We were also asked if ambition, lust, greed and desire are the same thing, which suggests that some blend of these emotions will be the result of a character or characters' moral degradation. The first scene of the play seems to focus on the three witches, who were briefly mentioned in our discussion of whether or not supernatural beings can influence people in making decisions. It is likely that this moral degradation will be inspired by the influence of supernatural forces.
As was noted in the discussion, however, a person's belief in the supernatural is what truly controls whether that supernatural force can change them (Brian, Cameron). Whether it's an example of a family being guided by their belief in the teachings of the Bible (Avery) or Samuel L. Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction trusting in karma (Gordon), it is clear that the influence of the perceived supernatural remains relevant today. Moral degradation through the belief in the supernatural is all around us, such as the inappropriate social protests by the Westboro Baptist Church as well as the political actions of religious extremists in the Middle East. Macbeth's morally questionable path to power as influenced by his perception of the supernatural was and still is reflective of our modern culture.
I like the idea of ambition being a spectrum. I'd never thought of it like that but it makes sense now after being brought up. The question now is where on that spectrum is integrity lost? Does it depend on the individual or is there a clear line that, when crossed, morals fade away?
DeleteI agree with your idea about supernatural influence leading to corruption and the eventual deaths of several characters. I am curious to see whether the supernatural influence will manifest as a religious belief or a fear of death, ghosts, and dying.
DeleteCatherine Lumsden-Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteFrom the seminar we did in class and the first scene with the witches, I believe Macbeth will be about death, consequences and the choices we make that lead up to them. A major discussion in my class was about people's honesty. Some, like Victoria, thought people could still be honest when trying to achieve goals, while others, like Leslie, thought that actions could be either good or bad. From this I assume that Macbeth will deal with someone trying to achieve a goal and ending up with some nasty consequences. Maybe this person will debate with himself about what he could have done differently. This person will debate what drives him and the influence of greed and desire on him.
From the scene on Youtube, there seems to be some sort of magical/supernatural influence. Perhaps this person blames supernatural beings for his choices and must confront his demons, be they real or imaginary. In class we debate this issue with some people not taking "supernatural beings" as literal, such as Elijah, who suggested that leaders can make powerful suggestions and seem like supernatural beings.
I agree with your view of the video as implying a supernatural influence in Macbeth. I wonder if Macbeth tries to blame his choices on supernatural influence but has to answer for them in the end.
DeleteI agree that the themes in many of Shakespeare's plays remain relevant to people reading them in 2015. From a psychological perspective, I find it remarkable that despite the progress we have made as a global community, many of us are still driven by the base desires featured in Shakespeare's work.
ReplyDeleteBased on the seminar questions we discussed in class, I believe that Macbeth may focus on themes relating to the costs of power and the effects it can have on one's morality. I think that there will be heavy highlights on the consequences of ambition, lust, greed, and desire. Although some like Alex and Rachel thought they are all levels of wanting, others like Brianna believes that all thought they all relate to each other however they do not at all possess the same meaning. I think that in Macbeth the morality and righteousness of the actions of the characters may never be clear, like the seminar questions they may be very vague and argued from multiple perspectives on whether they were appropriate actions or not. I also think that in Macbeth people will be influenced by supernatural beings. In our class discussion Victoria made a point that people can be very strongly influenced by other forces or even become possessed, Visrut and Kelsey on the other hand, argued that people may be manipulated into doing things they may not have done on their own but cannot be completely possessed by supernatural forces.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like a lot of emphasis will be put on the price of power and the ambition that is required to rise to power.
DeleteMorgan Coyle (2nd)-Macbeth and the Human Condition.
ReplyDeleteBased on the Macbeth intro seminar and the video of Act 1 Scene 1, I think that one of the key themes in Macbeth is evil and its many guises. Seeing three different interpretations of the first scene with the three witches reminded me that evil has many faces, and that you can’t judge a book by its cover (Kayla) because things are seldom as they seem. Evil is neither predictable nor definitive and values can change depending on how far away one gets from one’s goals (Elizabeth).
This theme of evil and its infinite faces is still relevant today. Evil will always exist in the world and within every person, whether apparent or not, and needs to be acknowledged before it can be dealt with effectively. Evil is within everyone’s capability and, as demonstrated in Philip Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment, can take over a person if given the opportunity.
I do agree that evil still exist today of course not everyone believes in spirits. Yet people get curious about demons some even play the ouija bored. Evil doesn't necessary revolve around spirit some people are just plain Mean! Sadly in this world their will always be another hitler.
DeleteI like your reference to the Stanford Prison Experiment. I agree that evil will probably take on several different meanings or definitions throughout, depending on the character. It could be that the struggles Macbeth and other characters face deal with overcoming or succumbing to their inner evil.
DeleteMolly McEvoy- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the seminar in class and the short video, I believe that Macbeth is going to contain themes of destiny and the struggle to obtain one's desires.
The idea of predertermined fate is one that has been around for millennia and has been adopted by many religions. Many people believe that they are on a set path, with a higher power guiding them along the way. This also plays into the discussion question of 'supernatural beings making people go against their will'. As some (Victoria) believe, demonic possession can force good, moral people to act in horrible ways. Others (Kelsey and Elijah) say that a persons mind is a powerful thing and that it, not supernatural beings are what drive people to go against their conscious will. This is still seen today in religious protests or extremist actions, claiming that it is for a higher power, yet going against basic principles of morality.
Another strong theme in Macbeth is a pesons ambition it achieve their goals, no matter the cost. As discussed in class, ambition and integrity seem to be two opposite ideas, yet they can still work together. As Leslie put it, one can use their integrity to be ambitious. This sense of morality can drive a person to be honest in their ambition and know when to stop before becoming consumed by the greed and lust they have for the desired goal. This is best represented today by Morgan's example of a student wanting to get all A's for the grading period. The student can either be honest in their pursuit and study and complete their work to the highest standard, or they can succum to the greed in their ambition and simply cheat. Both yield the same result, but the cheating comes with the moral loss of the student's integrity.
I agree and think that it is good to have ambition, but it is how to intend to achieve your goals through your ambition that it is determined to be good or bad. If you choose a good path, it can be easy to retain your morals, but though bad choices often times they can be lost.
DeleteThe question of supernatural beings' existence and their impact on human behavior is one that's been around for centuries. I grew up in a faith that taught fate over free will, but I have since come to realize that choices are nobody's but our own. The only thing that fate decides is how, when and where we will be born. Those circumstances do dictate much of our future, though, from childhood education to the current gender roles.
DeleteBrennan Lewis (6) - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on prior knowledge about Macbeth, the plot progression of tragedies, and the discussions that we have had in class, I believe that the themes in Macbeth will relate to the relationship that exists between ambition gone too far and guilt. As stated in our discussion, ambition can lead to positive change or to mass destruction, especially in the case of people like Hitler (Amanda). Though it is not always impossible to be ambitious and maintain integrity, because blanket statements tend to be inaccurate (Bilva), overzealous ambition tends to correlate to a loss of integrity. Integrity itself defines the line between being motivated and being power-hungry.
I believe that several characters in Macbeth will be defined by this loss of integrity and struggle with guilt in the process of being driven by their ambition. Most tragedies are made successful by great outpourings of emotion by characters who have been placed in a terrible moral dilemma or taken a path that defies a duty to their family or patriotism. They are then wrought with guilt for the wrongdoing that they have caused. I expect that Macbeth will parallel this plot progression.
The difficulty of retaining integrity while acting on ambition remains relevant today as our political system becomes even more greatly polarized. Many politicians choose to reject their own personal beliefs in order to gain funding from lobbyist groups and stay in office for a second term, rather than take action to create tangible change in our society. On a more individual level, many people are conflicted with how to best balance their personal lives and their jobs. People can throw themselves into work and get promotions in their company, being driven purely by ambition, yet remain unhappy with other aspects of their life.
On a political level, politicians frequently have to balance their own beliefs and personal desires with their constituency's desires. A political is endowed with some level of latitude to act inside his or her own beliefs ad opposed to the aggregate of the constituency, but that latitude is not limitless. Ergo, the balancing act is an even more complex Web that includes personal beliefs, what is best for the people, what the people want, and personal integrity.
DeleteVictoria Wiktor - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the class seminar I believe that the themes of Macbeth will revolve around the ideas of morality and traits such as ambition, greed, integrity, ect. It is always said that someone who is ambitious has a strong belief in success and will do anything to reach what they desire but it all depends on if that desire has good or bad aspects to it. Most of the statements discussed in the seminar all seem to tie into the fact that Macbeth will have a focus on someone obtaining their goals for their own sake and will basically do anything to reach that said goal. Also, one statement that was said in the seminar regarded whether or not it was possible to be ambitious and maintain integrity at the same time. Many people disagreed because it depends on the ambition. Someone can be ambitious and still maintain their personal morality if the ambition is good and does not have a bad outcome to it (Leslie). Another statement that was discussed pertained to ambition, lust, greed, and desire all having the same meaning. Each one of those words can have a negative connotation to them so therefore they can possibly have the same meaning (Kayla). But at the same time these words can mean completely different. Ambition and desire don't really sound as negative as lust and greed (Brianna). It all really depends on the situation.
I truly think that these themes are still reoccurring in today's society and will continue.
Ambition and desire don't really sound as negative as lust and greed
DeleteI love this idea, it really makes you think about how different they really are
I totally agree that the ability to maintain integrity with ambition depends on the ambition. I don't think that ambition, lust, greed, and desire all have the same meaning, but I do think that they all go hand in hand when talking about goals. I agree with Brianna in the fact that ambition and desire don't sound as negative because when I think of ambition I think of success. In comparison to thinking of greed which comes off as very selfish and negative to me.
DeleteVisrut Sudhakar - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteAll of the questions from out in class discussion revolved around the theme of morality, human behavior, and the ethics of our actions. Limiting ambition is done out of our concern for this societal code of morality, otherwise why would anyone stop short of achieving their dreams?
The Heinz dilemma, used Lawrence Kohlberg's stages of moral development, reference a standard of whether the end justifies the means, similarly reflected in the third question: "It is impossible to be ambitious and maintain your integrity". However, focusing instead on whether ambition, lust, greed, and desire have common meanings, the discussion revolved around the idea that they are each simply a different manifestation of a particular type of desire (Elizabeth). These archetypes are scattered throughout literature, speech, and popular culture. Recently, in F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic we saw the Gatsby driven by lust, in a world driven by greed - respectively seen as intimacy and wealth. Perhaps the real question here is which of these desires society tends to apply a positive connotation to (ambition), or a negative one instead (greed).
An extension of ambition, beyond a single individual, might be patriotism. To an extent, a nationalist fervor arises out of a collective ambition across a culture, striving for betterment; therefore, the question posed as to whether patriotism requires obedience to the government's leaders at all costs is best answered by saying no. Patriotism is a movement by the people, not necessarily who is in charge, for example the nationalist fervor in India under the colonial rule of the British whom the freedom fighters felt no loyalties towards (Lianna).
Just my two cents - I also talked about ambition versus morality, and I agree that limiting ambition can only be achieved by a "societal code of morality". What I'm not sure about is if ambition can be extended to describe a nation, as patriotism encompasses a very different definition... For example, how can a nation be greedy or extravagant in its desires?
DeleteJustin Ledinh- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the themes in Macbeth, I believe that this play will revolve around ambition, and how often times ambition can lead to disregarding morals and doing whatever it takes to achieve your goals. In the beginning scene, the blood along with the hand and the heart make me believe that in this story, ambition gets the worst of the main character, but I still think that ambition can be good. Although ambition can get out of hand and can lead to extremes (Amanda), often times a good dosage of ambition can help you achieve your goals and lead to change (Monica and Svetak)
In Macbeth I think that there will also exist the struggle within a character of whether they choose what they believe in or another being's choice. In class we discussed this topic in terms of patriotism and supernatural beings. I agree with what Gordon said, which was that "Patriotism doesn't have to do with the leader, but a group and an ideal." People should have a right to freedom of choice within rationality, and should not be oppressed by another. Then Erin brought up an interesting point with supernatural beings, in which she believed that we are only affected by these beings if it is our interpretation to believe in them.
Overall, I believe that Macbeth will be a story decided on the characters' choices, and whether they stray away from their morals or are affected by others.
I tend to agree with you, in the sense that a lot of definitions have to do with perspective. I would like to add to your claim that even unhealthy doses of ambition can be considered "good", it all depends on perspective.
DeleteI agree that ambition is an individual choice and sometime it can lead to good thing or bad things. It all depend on the people choices whether they choose the good or the bad path to go.
DeleteI agree with you that ambition can be good. Even though it can bring out the worst in people, ambition is vital for succeeding in your goals. I guess it all comes down to how each person deals with their own situations.
DeleteI agree with Kevin because ambition is obviously how you set goals and try to reach them, but all people are different and too much ambition combined with weak morals create greedy and destructive people.
DeleteI agree with you but if you think about it, it boils down to how people tend to believe that things will happen, but it's what you make of it that counts. Similarly, it's what you make of your moral judgement that fuels your ambition as well, if you see ambition as a success (which I do).
DeleteI also agree that debate over ambition will always exist in the present, as there are people with different ideals and morals and this leads to a variety of ideas. I do however disagree with the idea of ambition being good or bad, as I believe ambition is always good, but it just depends on how far you go and the extent of it.
ReplyDeleteMonica Ramirez (6) Macbeth and The Human Condition
ReplyDeleteAccording to our class seminar the theme of Macbeth will deal about one accomplishing their goal. But it may depend on their morals, resources and ambition. One must know how to control their ambition because like Amanda said Hitler had a big goal and a lot of ambition on accomplishing it which lead to some terrible things. Killing million of Jews, Jehovah Witnesses, and disable. I see ambition as a good thing because it can help you achieve your goal and it can lead to change (Svetak), but like i said earlier you have to know how to control it. Which opens a questions how does one control their ambition? I think that in Macbeth someone might be trying to reach their goal but their ambition for achieving it may lack cause of their resources. Not everyone has all the resources to do what they want to do or be whom they want to be. In today times everyone wants to have a good job and go to college but sadly not everyone can afford it and are afraid to take out loans because they fear that they won't be able to pay them back. Some have parents who have terrible jobs and see them selves as being just like them. Whereas someone who lives in a good place and has parents who both went to college isn't afraid about going to college because they know that just like their parents they can be someone that they want to be in life.
I agree one must know how to control their ambition, but others must also hold themselves responsible for what happens around them.
DeleteAfter watching the video, I found the motif of fate vs. free will especially intriguing. Victoria spoke in our seminar about the influence of supernatural powers over our daily lives and actions, but I found Visrut's argument more relatable to my own standings on the matter. He asserted that no being can make anyone do anything, but rather people can. They insert ideas into your own mind to make you think a certain way, and though it reminded us all of the movie Inception, the concept has a broader view as well. Children who are raised in a politically biased household have a greater chance of following in their parents footsteps, just as they have a greater chance of retaining the religion and cultural norms they learned at a young age. Fate certainly plays a role in our lives, through the role of supernatural forces or otherwise. Somehow, we were chosen for the exact childhood that we experienced, because for whatever reason we were put into a certain family or situation in the time period and place that we were born. After children grow into conscious adults with free-thinking minds, we develop our own sense of right and wrong and are capable (and responsible) for our actions. The sacrificing of certain morals to reach a goal, like Morgan discussed, is a personal decision that will bring about consequences, be they positive or negative.
ReplyDeleteI think it's also true that once we do become "adults with free-thinking minds" who "develop our own sense of right and wrong", we are still highly influenced by the environment in which we were raised. The ideas that are inserted in our minds as children, whether they be political, religious, cultural, racist, sexist, you name it, play a huge role in determining what we believe as adults, even if it is our conscious decision to decide the morality of a certain notion. For this reason, even if a belief is so ingrained in one's subconsciousness, I think it is always important to question beliefs as they could be views you've decided to blindly follow due to how you were raised.
DeleteI liked your view of "They insert ideas into your own mind to make you think a certain way". It truly makes you think about what's right and what you've been told.
DeleteSvetak Sundhar- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteOur class seminars delved into highly philosophical questions, and I am sure Macbeth will recapitulate those themes. I predict that the story will have to do with leader conflicts, as well as a characters internal ambitions to help them function. Both arguments we had in class were quite debatable, and interesting to listen to.
The fact that patriotism had nothing to do with the country itself (Gordon) was a very good point. He talked about how patriotism was to essentially respect the principles (or the constitution), and not just the literal land. Therefore, I agree with him, as patriotism involves respecting the leader of a society. I think the story will revolve a lot around the morales of a leaders, and how patriotic citizens are towards them.
The argument that ambitions can lead to desired change (Monica), was one that I agreed with. In perspective, any kind of ambition is willfully good, as it shows that an individual has power to change society around them. Of course, the norm is for people to misuse their powers, which is what I predict will be included in the story.
I agree with you that Macbeth will probably deal with internal conflicts of characters, especially between competing desires. I never thought of ambition in that way, which is an interesting point. Sometimes I forget the term ambition can also be used for good.
DeleteI like your idea of ambition being a positive thing, though I do not think that will be the case in Macbeth. I agree with you and think that the characters in Macbeth will misuse their power to achieve their negative goals, resulting in deathly consequences.
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ReplyDeleteHelen Foyle- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteThe scene of three stereotypically mythological witches that opens the Act 1 Scene 1 video, most obviously seems to run with a theme of fate versus free will. However, I think the statement “Our nature is fixed; try as we might we cannot change who or what we are” sheds light on a different side of the fate versus free will debate. I believe there is certainly a distinction between what is human nature and what is fate. Fate brings into the picture a higher being, or perhaps just a notion of predestination, from the moment breath first leaves lips; however, human nature is more psychological. It is an instinct, crafted through genetics and environment; it is molded as one grows, but cannot necessarily be defined as “free will” as it is created subconsciously. Perhaps a theme of Macbeth will be the discovery of how human nature originates.
The in-class discussions relating to ambition, desire, lust, and greed, all very human and instinctual feelings, support a theme of the origination of human nature. We think of ambition as the drive itself, but what drives one to become ambitious? Shall we call it fate that someone turns out having a lustful or greedy nature, or was there another factor that enabled them to have these qualities? When we discussed “It is impossible to be ambitious and maintain integrity”, Erin stated, “Integrity can ground you in your purpose.” This can be taken even further to say that one’s integrity can lead them to become ambitious. It will be interesting to me to examine how human nature is born and whether or not fate and free will have a hand in its conception.
This idea that integrity can ground you in your purpose is highly interesting because it presents the idea that integrity is a means to an end and the end in and of itself. This high valuation of a concept that might be deemed abstract and certainly has no intrinsic value presents an intriguing fuel by which to power life.
DeleteI agree and really liked the way you described the distinction between what human nature is and what fate is. I think that this can also tie back to the question of whether or not everyone has a breaking point? I know a point was made in our class that everyone DOES have one, and after a certain point, everyone is capable of killing, lying, and betraying : or in other words, evil. This was one of the statements that was said to us, which I think goes really well with what you were discussing.
DeleteI believe that one's integrity can lead you to be ambitious, I like how that was said, that statement made me look at it in a different light.
DeleteGordon Ma (6th) – Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteWhat I distinctly remember from our discussion(s) is our perception of the word ambition, which becomes important when we discuss the first four statements. Those who raised their hands approached the term ambition from a positive perspective, using words like “goals” and “aspirations”. In response to statement #4, Justin grouped the terms “ambition” and “desire” together with a positive connotation, while grouping the terms “greed” and “lust” with a negative connotation. I agreed with Justin, but after watching three renditions of Act I Scene I of Macbeth, it becomes apparent which side of the spectrum the term “ambition” lies on.
Thus, with no prior knowledge of the play, I predict a major theme of Macbeth to involve a conflict of interests between man’s inner motivations: ambition and morality. At face value, these terms have no meaning. I interpret it this way: a major simplification of the “the Human Condition” is that every man is born with evil and good intentions. By ambition, one can assume that men seek power, wealth, status and other material goods. What stops corruption, therefore, is a “morality” in which what is “good” is dependent on and determined by one’s society, place and time in history. As Katie said, all ambition is good until it infringes on the wellbeing of others.
Ambition, in this sense is a common evil present among men and women of any time period. Of course, this theme finds relevance today. A point which I brought up during discussion was a statement made in one of the Federalist Papers, where James Madison describes ambition to be the great weakness of men alike. What he is referring to are politicians who have lost their sense of duty to a greater whole, but rather become selfish in their desires to further themselves, whether it be in politics or other venues. Corruption in government, therefore, is a great example of the conflict of interests between one’s ambitions and one’s duties to a nation state.
I agree with the way you discussed the grouping of "ambition" and "desire" together as possibly positive terms but also with the fact that Macbeth is most likely using his ambition in a negative way. Also, I think that everything is good until it infringes on the wellbeing of others (or themself). Macbeth may be self destructive as well as destructive of others.
DeleteDiu Rahlan- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the seminar and Act I Scene 1 video, I think the themes of Macbeth is about ambition, violence, fate, and supernaturals.
The theme ambition is still relevant today. People will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. It all depend on how they view it or how extreme they are going to achieve want they want. Like what Amanda and Hannah said about Hitler killing millions of Jews.That kind of ambition is far off and it is way too extreme. Ambition can also be good and help you achieve your goals(Monica). For example, if you want to be CEO of a company you will do everything to be one and whatever to be one. The theme supernatural is also relevant today. Many people will do crazy things because they think if they do these certain things like witchcraft they will get want they want. Also they might think it will prevent something tragic or allow something good to happen to them if they do what they are being told to do. Like cure a disease, be a king or get rid of people they do not like. But it is their own decision and it has nothing to do with the supernaturals (Carmy).
I agree that the main theme will most likely be about the negative effects of having too much ambition. I think your class brought up a lot of great real life examples to back this theme up.
DeleteI agree with how you describe the attribute of being ambitious may be of negative effects with Macbeth. The points brought up within your post supports your point of the theme being ambitious.
DeleteDo you view being religous as belief in the supernatural?
DeleteAlthough I do agree with you about the themes, supernatural isn't exactly a theme but I can see where you are going as there are witches involved.
DeleteIt does seem that way in the play; the supernatural definitely will have a part in influencing Macbeth. I do agree, though, that the way one person is influenced by ambition and how they perceive their situation will determine whether their actions will have a good or bad outcome
ReplyDeleteBased on the class discussions we had during the seminars, I might be able to deduce that this play will be about the concept of ambition, and how this driving force might be fatal if one throws away their moral boundaries to accomplish their goals. From the video, I believe that the damaged statue and the bloody hand are kind of signaling towards the awakening of Macbeth’s ambition, and how it will all end poorly for him.
ReplyDeleteI think we all have some degree of ambition in us. We all strive to succeed in our various activities and goals. Whether or not that ambition will destroy us depends on our morals, our own sort of ethical guidelines that we are or aren't willing to cross. Similar to what Andy said, yes, it is true that the line between evil and good is very tenuous, and we all have our own individual ideas. But despite this, for the most part, we all accept some universal understanding of what is ethical and what isn't, and I believe that so long as we don’t shy away from our morals, ambition will not destroy our lives and all that we've worked for.
I really like what you stated about how we all have ambitions and it is ok to have them as long as we are respectful of others. I believe that ambitions can be healthy as long as they don't lead to self-destruction or the harm of others. However, I do think that some people lose sense of this 'universal understanding' and this is where we see the true evil in the world. Serial killers are a prime example. Although this is not most of humanity, humans are capable of terrible things when they lose control of their ambitions.
DeleteI don't know if a serial killer could really be classified by just losing control of their ambitions, but I understand what you're saying and agree. American corporations and companies are capable of doing horrific things in other countries to exploit resources, and also here to their own citizens because they are misguided by greed. Either they don't realize the moral injustices they have committed or do and simply don't care because they are blinded by greed and lust for more power. It's very rare to find an extremely successful business that isn't flawed in several ways and corrupt.
DeleteAlex Miller-Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteI believe that this novel will be about how selfish desires will often lead to despair. We discussed the concept that supernatural brings might make people make choices that are not their own in class and majority of the class agreed that everyone should be held responsible for their own actions. Katherine brought up the point that human beings often act in a different way than they would normally when they get emotional. I believe this will be the case in the play but someone will try to blame their actions on a supernatural being. I also believe the main theme of the play is going to be how too much ambition can be a bad thing. Molly brought up the metaphor that chocolate may be good in small amounts but if you eat too much you will get sick. I believe this will be the case for either multiple characters or at least the main character.
I completely agree with you. Our class also had a pretty big discussion on whether or not we believed in the "supernatural". The statement that was said is that the supernatural is very real and really does happen, which contradicts another person that had to say that the supernatural is all in the mind, and that if you really BELIEVE there is such thing, then there really might be to you.
DeleteQuinton Champitto - Macbeth and the Human condition.
ReplyDeleteIt's obvious, based in the seminar, that the main focus of Shakespeare's Macbeth will be one involving morality, but more importantly, what trumps morality from person to person. Macbeth indicates what some will do to achieve what they believe is their destiny. Much like every other Shakespeare play the theme still plays a part in today's society.
At what point is a drive to achieve to strong? As humans we all have goals and a want to be somewhere or someone in life, we're also told all our life to aim high and do whatever we can to reach that goal. People every day all over world have different ways of doing this; some pray, some work as hard as possible until they're recognized, and although we don't like to talk about it some commit crimes. We tend to see those who commit crimes as wrong, or cheaters, but what makes them truly different? If we're told there is no limit to what we can do why is there a limit to what we should do? These people are doing what they believe is necessary to achieve. Do we only consider them wrong because a book of rules tells us it's wrong?
Society's definitions of right and wrong can be skewed to fit an individual's opinion. Whether or not a group of people believe in an act as being wrong or right is completely based around that group's definition of what it means to wrong and what it means to be right. As prime example would be the idea of communism. During the red scare, Americans perceived communism to be an ultimate evil, while the Russians believed that democracy was the ultimate evil.
DeleteHannah Cooper(1st Period)- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the seminar from last week and the video we watched today, I think that the play will be about the concepts of ambition and integrity. From the video I gathered that Macbeth contains some creepy supernatural aspects. On Friday we talked about whether supernatural beings can cause people to make choices that are not their own. Riley made the point that everyone has the ability to make their own choices, but if they feel that they have supernatural powers, they think that they are automatically more powerful and may do things that "normal" people wouldn't. In Macbeth, I expect there to be a supernatural power that causes someone to do something rash.
Another topic that came up in the seminar is that everyone is capable of lying, killing and betrayal. Based on this and the video we watched today I know that the concept of death will be present in the play. Kat said that telling a lie doesn't mean you're evil if you're doing it for the right reasons. In relation to Macbeth, I think that doing something for the "right reasons" does not apply. I think that the character will be showing aspects of greed and lust in order to obtain their goals for selfish reasons. This ties in with the seminar topic: It is impossible to be ambitious and maintain integrity. Louis brought up the idea that if you are being true to yourself with your goals, then you can maintain your integrity. I think that maintaining integrity with ambition is not impossible if you are aiming for the right things. However, based on the video I can see that the goals in Macbeth are not pure and the characters will not maintain their integrity due to their selfish ambitions.
I think that how pure your goals are is more of a Your Mileage May Vary type of thing. What I'm really interested to see (or would be if I hadn't already read it) is whether or not Macbeth feels justified in pursuing his goals. And double for the other side of the conflict; clearly someone is going to stand in our protagonist's way, and it'll be interesting to see why, and on what principles they oppose him.
DeleteAustin Gain - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteAs observed in the video examples, Macbeth seems like the type of character who seems to take ambition and creates it as a main goal for himself. Ambition, especially for Macbeth, may seem like a downfall for Macbeth due to the witches foreshadowed warnings. The foreshadowing is very apparent in the witches when they say, "when will we meet again, in thunder, lightning, or rain." The witches appear to symbolize a sort of diety or religious guidance for Macbeth. In today's society, ambition can be described as a self-worth or as a way to fail. As Quinton stated, "At what point is a drive to achieve to strong?" Some students may agree when it is said that the ambition to get into a high level college by taking high level classes is an expected pressure. The course load put on by these high level classes creates a desired ambition to achieve, as long as the student is mentally prepared for that ambition. Other students may not be as mentally prepared for said ambition, and that same ambition sets up the student for failure. Ambition must be handled in moderation, like most things in modern society. Too much ambition may cause mental upset, too little ambition may lead to a lack of caring and a failed life. Ambition must be controlled by the self. No one else moderates your ambition but yourself.
I agree with your thoughts of ambition to where a moderation is needed and also how you relate ambition to different consequences.
DeleteJames Morton - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteFrom the moment the videos provided began rolling, it could immediately be told that MacBeth as a character is extremely ambitious in everything he does. He wants the best possible outcome for everything and will alter his goals in life for better or for worse to be sure that is what he will end up with. Ambition as a blanket term, especially in dramas can almost always be inferred to end in some sort of great tragedy or heroic downfall of some sort. This is further symbolized by various things such as the broken statue and bloody hands, as well as the witches that are probably references to the Fates from Greek Mythology, as Austin and Kevin said. This story uses morality as a backbone for its setting and characters. Morality can be defined as the principles concerning the difference between right and wrong, and MacBeth definitely blurs this line in a dangerous manner in doing the ambitious things he does.
I agree with your thoughts about Macbeth and his destined to have a dramatic downfall. The use of symbolism from the video is great but I was wondering why did you thing the witches are referring to the Fates from Greek Mythology?
DeleteJulio Derteano-Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteFrom the class discussion and the video, one can predict that a theme within Macbeth is ambition. I believe that Macbeth will lose his integrity with the pursuit of reaching his goals, as he becomes closer to achieving his goals the tasks will become more extreme, thus resulting the loss of his integrity. Ambition is a great attribute to have, but only to a certain extent. Within Macbeth we can assume that there will be a showing of that boundary line that will take ambition to an extreme. This theme of ambition is still relevant for today’s social environment, because all people have wants, but all people have different limits for their wants. Ambition, lust, greed, and desire may all be negatively associated, although ambition and lust is usually relative for positive purposes. There obviously is a limit to where ambition and lust once passed the limit will have negative associations with it. This conveys that within Macbeth the protagonist could possibly have good reasoning with his ambition, but then be corrupted by it, which will then lead to his down fall.
I'm not sure we can predict right now that Macbeth will lose his integrity as a result of his ambitions. We know that this is a tragic play. Although the tragic hero has a fatal flaw, also called hubris, that causes his downfall, the hero also realizes his mistake and dies an honorable death. Did you predict the loss of Macbeth's integrity because of your personal beliefs about ambitions or were you just thinking about possible scenarios for the play's plot?
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ReplyDeleteRiley Edwards 1st Period
ReplyDeleteFrom the questions presented in the seminar, it is easy to assume that Macbeth will deal with questions of power and the corruption it brings. In American popular culture, one of the most desired quantities is the ability to control one’s own destiny, particularly by owning a business and relying on it for all economic income. However, the real American dream features a touch of arrogance, in that the owner of that store wants to employ others, to be responsible for their economic well-being, to have that additional sense of control. Needless power over other people is sought after, and the sheer demand for that sentiment makes it so it is often necessary to compromise integrity. Even something as simple as a lie, which Cat described as innocent if done for the right reasons, is an irrevocable damage to one’s integrity. Balancing one’s dreams with integrity and moral culpability are still required parts of life in modern society, and Macbeth’s themes will still apply.
People have to make the moral choice to either tell the truth to get ahead or lie in order to get ahead. Many people believe in karma which mandates that if a person commits an "evil" activity, then they will be properly punished for it, similarly to how the legal system works in most countries.
DeleteKiya Cotton (6th Period) - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteUsing the seminar and the videos shown in class, I predict that Shakespeare's Macbeth will be about morality and the ambitious character of Macbeth. One of the topics in the seminar was about how people will do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals, I believe that Macbeth will be one of those people although I don’t fully agree with the statement. In the video, it also showed how people will do whatever it takes with the three women, in one version, killing a man in order to achieve their goal. Which brings me to the point that ambition is not always a desirable trait. The ambition of these three women, made them strive to kill a person. Amanda agreed with me, saying that ambition drives you too far sometimes which is clearly shown in the video. I do think that these themes are still present in today’s time, I actually think they’ve increased in today’s time.
Why don't you agree with the statement "people will do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals"?
DeleteI understand that ambition is not always a desirable trait so where do we put the line when someone's ambition is right or wrong? What do you think of someone doing unfair deeds to improve one's lifestyle from a stressful and disappointed life?
Delete@Deepak, I think "is it worth it" is more of the question someone would ask themselves, and whether that's right or wrong would depend on who's judging. The person on the receiving end of that action might think it was a terrible, unfair thing to do, but the person who took that action could just as easily say that it was justified, for example if someone had once done the same thing to them.
DeleteWalker Morrell- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteThe videos and the seminar reveal that Macbeth will most likely be a study of human nature in regards to pursuing ambitions and dealing with mortality.
The seminar's discussion topics dealt largely with how far people will go to achieve a certain goal and what human beings are capable of doing to reach their ambitions. This depends on the significance of the goal (Louis). The capabilities of man when it comes to achieving a goal will probably be a large theme in Macbeth. However, it is possible to be ambitious while following social rules and maintaining integrity (Riley).
The videos portray the common themes of mortality and supernatural beings. Because all three of the videos showed three mysterious women as well as depictions of death, I predict that these things will have huge impacts on the play. In connection with the seminars, I believe that Macbeth's themes will be how human's actions in pursuing their ambitions are influenced by supernatural beings and death.
I agree with this about the witches. They are going to have a huge impact on the play.
DeleteI agree with the supernatural beings. Looking at how it introduced the play with three witches already gives a sense on what characters the play is going to focus on.
DeleteDylan Kruesi- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteFrom what both the seminar and introduction video alluded to, I feel it is safe to assume that the major themes throughout Macbeth will be ambition, corruption, integrity, and the ability to not only gain power but also control it. The video and our class discussion also made it clear that supernatural beings will be a large part of Macbeth. In regards to that, I agree with what Riley said when he stated that individuals who believe they are being controlled by a supernatural being are likely to make selfish and unethical decisions because they feel as though they are more powerful than others. This “power” can lead to greed, which calls into question whether or not individuals can maintain integrity when they have become so ambitious. I believe it is possible to maintain integrity with ambition, but in this case the characters in Macbeth may be misguided through false belief of supernatural beings guiding them and be engulfed by lust and greed. This could possibly lead to death and destruction, leading you to also wonder whether or not any human being is capable of killing in certain circumstances which could be swayed by beliefs and fallacies.
Keara Klinge - Macbeth and the Human Condition - period 1
ReplyDeleteI predict that Macbeth will have major themes about the sacrifices one must make when they want to achieve a goal. These are not noble sacrifices but rather the sacrifice of morals and family. Nearly everybody who spoke during my class's seminar agreed that it was possible to have integrity and ambition at the same time, but the questions seem to imply that this will be brought up and examined to a greater degree in Macbeth. It will also have to do with the supernatural or, as Riley said, the belief that supernatural beings are there that cause the characters to act in a certain way. It may also contain divine retribution, which seems to be a theme in most works because readers like to see it.
Macbeth will probably contain a lot of morally ambiguous or "corrupted" characters who meet a bitter end. The question about whether or not everybody was capable of lying, killing, and betrayal was discussed a lot in our class, and Macbeth will likely either prove or disprove that by making an initially "good" character commit evil acts or be unable to commit these acts. Lastly I think there could be some discussion of perspective. As Divya said in her response to the question I mentioned, it's only how others view us that make us evil. This may be the case in Macbeth, where the character doing those evil things doesn't view themselves as evil but others do.
After considering the video presented in class about Macbeth, Act 1, scene 1, I have realized that there are many themes presented such as, ambition is always a desirable trait and people will do anything it takes to achieve their goals. There is also a bit of supernatural activities which can be inferred for destroying the angels in the part of the video. It is also possible that the theme, things are not always what they seem may play a major role. I wonder that the witches who were presented in ill manner may be the heroic turning stone of the play in a way of teaching others that do not judge people that one does not know as vile and disgusting if one does not know them. This can be lightly supported on William Shakespeare who has helped advances in psychology.
ReplyDeleteThe theme, people will do whatever it takes to achieve one’s goal is unlikely. Due to the quote by Jared Ford “People are too lazy”. I believe there is a point when someone with a reasonably mind even with motivation will decide to turn their backs on their goal. It is never a bad thing to reconsider what is important to one. Overall the major themes I am hoping to see are people will do whatever it takes to achieve one’s goal and things are not always what they seem.
While I agree with most of your statement, I have to say that I disagree with your idea that people will not do whatever it takes to achieve their goal. I think that the definition of a goal is something that one strives to reach and if something a true a persons goal, they will do whatever it takes. If a person does not do whatever it takes to reach something, that thing will be a mere desire or hope.
DeleteI don't think people are "to lazy" when some are willing to kill just to achieve a goal.
DeleteSirisha Karra (1st) - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteI believe that one of the main themes that will be present as we read Macbeth is shown through the statement, "People will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals". While some believe that people are just too lazy to go through such great lengths (Jared), others believe that it really depends on what the goal and the outcome is (Louis). I would say that I agree most with the fact that it depends on what the goal is, and if we really are serious about taking the initiative to create such a goal, then we should do whatever it takes to achieve it (Natalia). Here came the question of whether or not it is impossible to be ambitious and maintain integrity as well. I think the answer to this is shown through the introductory video that we watched today in class. It shows the three girls scheming about Macbeth, and then it shows them years later cutting open a body (or so it seemed). Just from a few seconds of that scene, it seemed that they were, indeed, "accomplishing" their goals, but not in the sense maintaining their integrity.
I think another major theme that was definitely discussed is shown through the statement, "Everyone is capable of lying, killing, and betraying : in other words, evil". Now I completely agree with the statement that everyone is definitely capable of doing all those things, especially if put under certain dire circumstances. However, I wouldn't necessarily consider that to be evil (Kat). It is important to recognize what perception and view people are coming from, and understand why it is they are doing what they are doing. When looking through someone else's point of view, it is more difficult to call such acts "evil". Our class in particular got into a long discussion of what people consider a "breaking point", and as one said that everyone has an innate "breaking point", where one just cannot take anymore of what people have to say (Justin), Louis also brought up an excellent point by saying that people can interpret anything to be evil, so it is all in the perception that one decides to judge or perceive a given situation.
All in all, I think these are just a few of the many main themes that will be present as we read Macbeth.
I completely agree with your views on everyone being capable of lying, killing, and betraying.Do you believe that people often do these things because they have reached their "breaking point" as well?
DeleteKaitlin Coleman, pd 6
ReplyDeleteResponse #1
During our seminar discussion on Friday my fellow classmate, Avery Hill, made an interesting suggestion about the nature of ambition. The question that had been posed was "do ambition, lust, greed and desire all mean the same thing?" Avery commented insightfully on the subjectivity of all these themes, and the nature of their origin as well. At first I disagreed when he said that his views were in line with the statement, but after hearing his reasoning I began to think about it differently. Avery explained that the origin of all of these things come from some sort of inner drive motivated by intense longing, the difference is the way that people carry out achieving their goals. Ambition and desire can be seen as a positive force that motivates people to do things for the good of others, while greed and lust, while motivators, often drive people to act selfishly for the purpose of building themselves up at whatever cost to other people. I found this seminar interesting because it made me reconsider what the underlying themes of Macbeth may be. From the questions that were posed, I feel that I can safely assume that Macbeth (or one of the other main characters) will be motivated to do something that may be considered morally reprehensible. In class we discussed ambition with somewhat sinister undertones, giving me reason to believe that this will be a prominent theme in Macbeth. I look forward to reading the play and discovering whether or not my predictions are accurate.
Louis Jacobowitz, pd. 1 - Macbeth and the Human condition
ReplyDeleteShakespeare's themes heavily feature the exploration of character flaws. This is not localized to any one play, but is rather consistent throughout many of them - for example, Julius Caesar focusing on the moral conflicts of Brutus, and Romeo and Juliet exploring hastiness and lack of faith. Macbeth is no different in this regard - even if I hadn't already read the play, I would be led to conclude such thanks to the seminar questions. These questions, many of which feature ambition and loyalty, paint a clear picture of what the play's theme will probably be about. Their presence in our pre-reading material heavily implies that they will be the center of the theme Shakespeare explores with this work, and will thus be explored. As we read, we can probably expect to see both the light and dark sides of ambition, loyalty, and acceptance of earned consequences.
As for whether these themes are still relevant today, my answer is an unequivocal yes. During the seminar in class, answers to the various questions brought up situations far removed from Shakespeare, for example, and the morality of achievement is still a topic of moral debate even today.
I like that you mentioned Julius Caesar in this almost as much as I love that Swellow icon for your profile picture. Now that I've read the first act, I did notice a similar situation between Macbeth and Brutus. Though for different reasons, these two both did end up backstabbing their higher-ups they considered friends.
DeleteDivya Agarwal Pd 1- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteDue to the discussion based seminars we have had in class and the videos we watched today, I feel that it is safe to infer that the main themes of Macbeth will revolve around supernatural influence in daily life, greed and its relationship to betrayal, and the concept of fate vs. free will. As Sirisha commented, statement “People will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals” seems as if it will be directly applicable throughout this play and perhaps even be the catalyst for the series of actions that will take place.
Walker insightfully noticed that the three women in the video we were shown today all seemed to be partaking in something that does not exist in this realm of the world. They were engaging in what seemed to be witchcraft and I’m sure this will serve as the premise for nearly the rest of the play. However, their action seemed malicious and it seems as if crossing moral lines will be another central theme throughout this play.
Katherine Concepcion, Period 2 - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video, I found the motif of Fate vs. Free will especially intriguing. Fate vs. Free Will is a continuing motif in most of Shakespeare's works. Victoria spoke in our seminar about the influence of supernatural powers over our daily lives and actions, but I agreed with Visrut's thoughts on the matter. He argued that no being can make anyone do anything, but rather people can. They insert ideas into your own mind to make you think a certain way. Children have a greater chance of following in their parents footsteps, just as they have a greater chance of keeping the religion and cultural norms they learned at a young age. Fate certainly plays a role in our lives, through the role of supernatural forces or for other reasons. Somehow, we were chosen for the exact childhood that we experienced, because for whatever reason we were put into a certain family or situation in the time period and place that we were born. Once children grow old enough to be conscious of their actions, they develop their own sense of right and wrong and are responsible for their actions.
I do agree that children have a greater chance of following in their parent's footsteps, however, I also believe that at a certain age in time, the children began to develop their own thoughts about their religion/cultural norms. I don't exactly understand your view on supernatural powers. You believe that no being can make anyone do anything, yet people still can? How is that so?
DeleteYour concept on Fate vs Free Will is interesting. I didn't even think of putting fate against free will. Yes I understand that fate is very important but the concept of free will is very intriguing. Also you make an excellent point when you put that it is a "continuing motif in Shakespeare's works". That is new information to me so thank you for sharing.
DeleteKadijah Holder (1st Period) - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on last week's seminar and the video that was shown in class today, I also believe that the main theme of William Shakespeare's Macbeth will be focused on morality. There were many questions during the seminar focusing around ambition, lust, greed, desire, and patriotism that are believed to be in Macbeth. One of the questions was whether people will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals which ties into morality. Jared disagreed with this statement and said, “Not all people are willing to that, some people are lazy.” I completely agree with him. However, I do believe the three ladies that killed the man in the Macbeth video this morning does prove the statement true in some cases and also relates to the other statement that everyone is capable of evil since the three ladies were dressed as nuns.
I also believe that another prevalent theme in Macbeth is death and evil. I believe death of course because of the videos that were shown. One video had the nuns killing a man, another with some young ladies running through a cemetery, smashing things, and the first one with three ladies burying a person. I think evil is a theme because I do not believe that some of the women in the videos were doing the things they did willingly which brings up the one of the statements from the seminar that said that supernatural beings can make people make choices that aren’t their own. I agree with this statement and so did Kat who used possession by an evil spirit or demon as an example.
Based on all of my peers responses during the seminar, I conclude that these themes are still prevalent in today’s times.
i like that you pointed out that ambition, lust and the struggle of morality still a struggle in todays time
DeleteAngel johnson pd:6
ReplyDeleteSometime our desires cause us to lose sight of who we really are. We tend to let our ambitions and dreams overpower us and cause us to lose some of the morals that we once had. That’s the main worry in the play. Macbeth wants to be king of Scotland more than anything but in order for that to happen Macbeth must kill the current king, King Duncan.
Although the current king of scotland is a good man and Macbeth seems to respect him macbeth believes he ought to be king. Macbeth is also a lord with servants so he’s come along way and seems to be ambitious which isn’t a bad thing but now he seems to be a bit too ambitious which will probably lead to his death.
Supernatural beings seem to also play a role. Already Macbeth has been approached by three witches who begin to predict his future then disappears. It appears that this is not the last of the witches we’ll see.
Speaking of the witches, it is obvious in the line "When the battle's lost and won." that they could care less on who wins. They seem to be like a third party who is not on anyone's side because regardless of what happens it is not going to effect them in the end.
DeleteBased off of the discussion we had in class I think that its safe to say that the book is going to be about human perspective and belief. A lot of the statements were made had a lot to do with what people thought and how they personally would approach it. That being said, after watching the three trailers, there're definitely going to be some "greater powers" involved in the way people and fate play out. I personally think that the last trailer was the best one that I saw. They did a great job at emphasizing that there was a war going on that was a big part as to what was going to happen next and the person who was going to be the first domino that falls.
ReplyDeleteI agree the third trailer seemed to portray the war or uprising that was taking place.
DeleteMakeda Phoenix, period 6 - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased upon the seminar we had in class I predict that the themes in Macbeth will focus primarily on morality. Macbeth is tempted with the possibility of becoming king, but must murder Duncan in order to do so. He faces a dilemma and must decide if doing this is worth being King. He has his doubts but his wife Lady Macbeth is very strong and persuasive in trying to get him to commit the deed, thinking that she won't have a problem with the guilt and her husband will just have to deal with it. Power she may hold over her husband is discussed in question fourteen Women use their sexual appeal to get what they want and men result to violence." This along with some of the other questions gets into the issue of whether or not loyalties should ultimately with one's family or their country and/or government, if the choice must be made.
Based on last week's seminar and the video we watched in class today, I predict Macbeth to be about morality and ambition. We discussed the concept that people will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals and conceptualize a lot of key themes in the play. One theme that I predict will be reoccurring in the play, is the idea that ambition, lust, greed, and desire all mean the same thing. When we discussed this theme in class, I disagreed. However, I took into account the supernatural aspects of the video that could relate to this theme. Macbeth seems to be about a lot of morality and how supernatural roles can alter morality. While some may agree that ambition, lust, greed and desire mean the same thing, it is possible that the supernatural witches will portray things that are out of the realm of possible occurrences in the existing world to further explain those terms as the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAnother theme we discussed was that the world is just and people will get punished for doing something wrong. I agreed with this statement however Hannah pointed out that many people can get away with their wrongdoings solely by chance or luck. In the video, we saw three witches burying a hand but we did not see them being punished for their witchcraft. I predict that Macbeth will incorporate many aspects of witchcraft but will fail to portray the difference between moral and immoral things, a concept that is vivid in psychopaths.
Johnny Huang Period 1 - Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased off of the statements presented in the seminar as well as the video we watched, Macbeth will deal with supernatural elements as well as the idea of whether people’s ambition causes corruption. The question that comes with this is that are people willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals. This concept is very similar to Machiavelli’s principle of whether the end justifies the means. In response to this question, many people in our class agreed that it would depend on the goal as well as the person. Some people are more willing to step over other people than others, and in my opinion, that is not necessarily a bad thing. Macbeth in this regard will probably contain more morally ambiguous characters rather than the classical good and evil style of characters. It will also have to do with supernatural elements, which can be inferred from the video of the three women participating in some kind of ritual. Whether these people are out to harm other is yet to be seen.
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ReplyDeleteHeavenlee Burt Period:6th -Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteAlthough not present for the seminar on Friday, it is clear to see that it focused solely on ambition and that perhaps could be taken to mean that ambition will be a big, if not the biggest theme, in the play Macbeth. Also, in Act 1, Scene one, the three disconcerting women, whom appear to be wicked witches, show the cruel fate that lies one unsuspecting human being. This perfectly sets up the foreshadowing for the rest of the play. Wicked witches playing with fate leading to the only conclusion that fate is a big part in this whole tragic play of Shakespeare’s. The three ladies even speak as if they are the fates themselves; “Fair is foul, and foul is fair, Hover through the fog and filthy air.” and from only going so far as this scene they could very well be. The quote also could be interpreted as for one of comeuppance. Fate punishes those who do wrong in the place of good.
I like your mention of the air and fog. That gets into the eerie and supernatural feel of the first act.
DeleteI like how you mentioned the three witches foreshadowing a cruel fate for an unsuspecting character. I didn't think about that.
DeleteBrian Fischer (6th): Macbeth and the Human Condition.
ReplyDeleteThe seminar questions we did in class lead me to believe that Macbeth is about a happy and dandy land where nothing goes wrong and morality is not even an issue. Actually, I wasn’t thinking that at all. The seminar we did on class seemed to touch on ambition and its moral implications very often. I would predict that Macbeth features some kind of conflict centered around evil acts rooted in ambition. A lot of this also seems to be about the blurred and subjective boundaries of what is healthy ambition and what is not. For example, some of our questions asked if supernatural beings can make people make choices that are not their own, if patriotism requires absolute loyalty to the government, and if loyalty to family trumps loyalty government. This gets into some heavy stuff, such as motives behind crimes and the punishment for these crimes.
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DeleteGreat hook at the beginning of your response.
DeleteKaylin Cooley 2nd- Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Act 1 Scene 1, the theme that really sticks out is how ambition can persuade or affect someone’s mortality. After watching the video clip, there’s a sense of evil shown. This statement can be linked with the video clip (even though we did not get this far in our discussion) “Everyone is capable of lying, killing, and betrayal; in other words, of being evil.” This statement is true, whether you want to face it or not. Everyone is capable of having an evil characteristic; we just choose not to let over power us. Just as Aayanna said in the discussion to the statement, “Supernatural beings can make people make choices that are not their own.” we control ourselves and it’s all in our minds. Also, the couplet at the end of the scene is a confession of the witch’s faith. All that is good, "fair," to others is evil, "foul," to them, and all that is evil to them, is good to others. This is similar to the statement, “Things are not always what they seem.” As Morgan said, we can’t make assumptions or make judgments of other people. Just like these witches, we can assume or predict that they’re any good or bad either.
Kelsey Garvey, 2nd- Macbeth and the Human Condition.
ReplyDeleteFrom the implications of what was seen in the Act 1 Scene 1 film adaptations and the topics discussed, "Macbeth" will have many themes focusing on human morality and ethical questions. This can be seen in the presentation of the 3 witches opening lines, which also sets up what will happen in the story. All three take some element of death with them into their openings. The image of the hand clutching the noose in Polanski's version, and the surrounding air of death in Wright and Goold's- as portrayed by the graveyard and the dead soldiers- all tell the viewer that Macbeth will be a death-heavy play. The openings can also be connected to the phrase discussed in class "People will do whatever is necessary to achieve their goals." The witches are portrayed in the opening scene as doing what is necessary- despite the fact we do not know their goals- to achieve something. A specific- the 3 witches of Goold’s version kill the soldier, and use the death as a plot device and a launch pad for their opening lines. It is obvious the soldier’s death has some sort of meaning to it, as the witches went out of their way to kill him.
Justin Magin (1st pd)- Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the in-class discussions and the knowledge from Act I Scene 1, it seems undeniable that the play’s themes will revolve around human morality. This theme will disperse into many micro-themes, such as family, ambition, desire, and loyalty.
Although written by Shakespeare during the Renaissance, these themes are still prevalent in today’s society. Despite some morals morphing to fit present society, the majority evident in Macbeth have remained standard. The controversy between what is ethically right is also still here to this day. Whether “the world is just” is a good example of controversy still present. Do people get away with doing bad things? Of course. The question then lies, which morals are ethically stronger than others? This is where Macbeth has conflict. Macbeth still should carry responsibility for killing someone, despite being coerced into the action. We often tend to look at terms and find the positive twist. While desire and ambition can seem positive, they also bare a burden of evil, when used incorrectly.
I agree with you about how the morals are morphed to fit present society. Our current time is not how it was back then which gives us different ideas and beliefs.
DeleteI completely agree that those themes are still present in today's society.I also like how you question which morals are ethically stronger than others it really made me stop and think.
DeleteAfter watching the video, the theme of this play seems to focus around supernatural powers and since it is a tragedy, there will also be greed and betrayal. I believe that this play would focus a lot on ambition and how it can change the characters influenced by it. Ambition can be either good or evil based on the perspective people have on it. One group can view ambition as good and allows others to be motivated to do better. The other group on the other-hand, would consider ambition as something that would cause harm to others in order to reach their own goals. Ambition can cause various conflicts to occur but it doesn't define it to be either good or bad, it is just currently present.
ReplyDeleteMildred Legbagah- 2nd Period Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the Macbeth intro seminar in class I can predict that the themes of Macbeth are going to have a lot to do with power and ambition. I believe that Macbeth will let his ambition for power turn into greed, lust, and desire. This goes along with statement number 8: The world is just; if you do something wrong you will be punished for it and statement number 4: Ambition, lust, greed, and desire all mean the same thing. I believe in karma and whatever goes around comes around. So no matter what you do good or bad it will have some sort of consequence. As pointed out by some of my peers during the discussion ambition is normally seen as a good thing while greed, lust, and sometimes desire are seen as negative. Multiple people also pointed out that greed, lust, and desire are all different levels of ambition.
Bettylenah Njaramba (1st period) - Macbeth & the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteThe first scene of Act 1 reveals the beginning characteristics of a tragedy. As most of my peers have noted, such as Heavenlee and Brian, the theme of ambition is most evident. A strong sense of ambition could, perhaps, lead to hubris, which in most tragic stories is the ultimate cause of the protagonist's fate. Kaylin pointed out that "ambition can persuade or affect someone's morality" which could lead to the protagonist's poor decision which results in their downfall. Another theme is the supernatural beings such as witches and gods which influence the climate of the story. During this particular scene, the witches evoke an eerie tone to the play. I certainly believe that themes revealed in Macbeth can relate to modern times. Especially general themes that influence humanity on a daily basis, such as ambition. Most people have a dream or goal that their passionate about and strive to achieve. Their ambition is ultimately decides how hard their willing to work for it or how far their willing to go to achieve it.
Natalia B.
ReplyDeleteSince the questions we discussed are directly correlated with Macbeth, it’s evident that the book will cover ethicality and expose how greed or ambition can easily consume a man. The fact that it is labeled a tragedy indicates that there will be a leading character with the qualities of a tragic hero. Because Macbeth is destined to fail, he will allow his clouded judgment and objectives to lead him. Most likely he’s overconfident which impedes on his ability to think logically. His greed inhibits his intuition and his extreme egocentrism hinders his ability to be humbled which only feeds into his destiny. Major themes will definitely include fate, ambition, and pride. No matter what Macbeth does, his fate is an impending result beyond his control and pride always comes before the fall. Drive and ambition can take anyone wherever their heart desires, but once corrupted; will bring them to their knees and possibly to their death.
Elijah Bader (2nd period)-Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the questions asked during the seminar I think themes involving ambition, greed and patriotism will be covered in Macbeth. Issues involving The Church were also big during the time period this was written which makes the idea of supernatural beings being able to control people very relevant and important. Also Shakespeare had betrayal in most of his plays so I also expect to see that in this one.
Based on the Act one Scene one videos I think who holds power in society and whether or not they should will be discussed along with men resulting to violence to obtain/reach their goals.
I think people will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. This is brought up in many books, movies, poems and occurs daily. There are limits to what we will do depending on the importance of the goal. If your goal is to stay alive you will kill someone else to achieve that, which is natural, or you will refuse to kill someone because your goal of never killing someone else is more important. We use morals to help us from doing something we will regret in the future because we know in this world it is survival of the fittest, which is especially engraved in the minds of people who live in a capitalist society.
It's interesting that you say that if a person's goal is to stay alive that they will kill, and that if a person's goal is to refuse killing someone that they will die... basically that people will do whatever they can to achieve their goals. What do you think about the seminar discussion statement "Everyone is capable of lying, killing, and betrayal; in other words, of being evil."? Do you think that some people's moral inabilities of killing transcend their physical capabilities, as in they would, not just theoretically, but literally, not be able to kill someone? I don't think so.
DeleteAayanna Bellamy (2nd period) - Macbeth & the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the in class discussions we had and the knowledge from Act I Scene 1, it seems like the play’s themes will revolve around human morality. There are so many micro-themes, such as ambition, desire, family, and loyalty in this play. In class we also talked about supernatural beings and if they can make people make choices that are not their own. Almost everyone including me believed that it's all within your mind. Nobody can really make you doing anything, it's really what's in your head/mind. Which moves to the point that things are not always what they seem. In class Kayla made a great point. It's like judging a book by it's cover, people change. Like the three witches at the end of the scene who begin to predict Macbeths future then disappears. We can only believe to think that they will cause problems throughout the play but we really don't know that. We just had to wait and see where the theme or themes of this play takes us.
You say that nobody can really make you do anything, and that it's really what's in your head/mind, but I disagree. I think that people can make you believe things no matter what you previously thought, by either you already trusting them, or them brainwashing you, in effect.
DeleteMeredyth Albright (2nd) – Macbeth and the Human Condition
ReplyDeleteBased on the seminar discussion we had in class, the overarching themes of Macbeth will be morality, ambition, and the many contributing factors that determine what a person perceives to be “moral.” There were several conflicting opinions in class among the discussion statements. This goes to show that, not only are the characters in Macbeth conflicted by what morality means, and how their actions and ambitions can “disagree” or “agree” with morality, but that also in modern day, my classmates and I are also conflicted as to whether we “agree” or disagree” with statements given as other people’s concepts of morality. For example, while it was claimed that “many people are ambitious without integrity,” (Morgan Coyle) someone else countered that “ambition” and “desire” usually bring about positive connotations. (Brianna Bulgarino) Given the three clips of the three women at the beginning of Macbeth, it is clear that although these women are committing macabre, grotesque, and destructive acts, they are doing so because either they believe what they are doing is moral, or they have greater ambition for the end outcome of their actions than the moral consequence of their deeds. This, along with the seminar discussion, leads me to believe that major themes of Macbeth will be centered around the concept of morality, how the characters in Macbeth act accordingly to their own ideas of morality, and how ambition gets in the way of their ideals. Things are not always as they appear, because everyone perceives things differently, (Morgan Coyle) therefore the theme in Macbeth of “ambition in relation to morality” is still relevant to this day.